A U.S. Army staff sergeant who pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a child and was sentenced to four years in military prison was initially the subject of a far broader civilian investigation in Washington state, where authorities documented allegations involving child sexual abuse, child sexual abuse material, multiple search warrants, and a joint investigation between civilian law enforcement and the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID), according to newly obtained records.
Records obtained by The Salty Soldier from the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office, south of Joint Base Lewis-McChord, provide the first detailed public account of the investigation that preceded Staff Sgt. Justin Primo Murphy’s general court-martial.
Murphy was convicted May 15, 2026, by a military judge at Joint Base Lewis-McChord after pleading guilty to one specification of sexual abuse of a child in violation of Article 120b of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. He was sentenced to reduction to E-1, 48 months of confinement, and a dishonorable discharge pursuant to a plea agreement.
Before arriving at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Murphy served with the 110th Composite Truck Company before transferring to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 10th Headquarters and Special Troops Battalion, 10th Mountain Division Sustainment Brigade at Fort Drum, New York. During that assignment, he served as the battalion commander’s driver and received an Army Commendation Medal recognizing his service from April 11, 2017, through May 2, 2019, before making a permanent change of station to Washington.
The newly released civilian investigative records paint a considerably broader picture than the single specification that ultimately resulted in Murphy’s conviction.
According to the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office incident report, the investigation began after an electronic service provider submitted a CyberTip to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) in October 2025.
The CyberTip alleged that an online account associated with Murphy uploaded multiple files reported to contain child sexual abuse material. Investigators also documented additional allegations involving communications concerning a minor.
Because the investigation involved multiple children and contains graphic allegations, The Salty Soldier is not reproducing the explicit language contained in the investigative reports. Readers who wish to review the records in full may do so by accessing our complete investigative report.
The Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force forwarded the CyberTip to the Olympia Police Department.
Olympia police obtained a Thurston County Superior Court search warrant authorizing investigators to examine the CyberTip materials and obtain subscriber information associated with multiple electronic service providers.
According to the report, subscriber records ultimately linked an IP address to Murphy’s residence in Yelm, Washington.
After investigators determined Murphy was likely an active-duty Soldier, Olympia Police contacted Army CID.
CID confirmed Murphy was assigned to Joint Base Lewis-McChord and verified subscriber information using Department of Defense records.
The sheriff’s report documents extensive coordination between civilian investigators and Army CID.
According to a supplemental investigative report, Thurston County investigators contacted CID Assistant Special Agent in Charge Todd Salter, who directed them to coordinate with Special Agent Raguse.
“It was determined that CID would take primary on the investigation and that TCSO would assist,” the report states.
CID reviewed materials provided through NCMEC and later obtained a search warrant for Murphy’s residence and electronic devices.
On Nov. 5, 2025, Thurston County detectives met with CID investigators for a briefing before executing the warrant.
CID and Thurston County deputies then divided investigative responsibilities during the operation. Thurston County deputies assisted with the execution of the search warrant and Murphy’s arrest while investigators separately interviewed family members.
After Murphy’s arrest, he declined to speak with Army CID investigators but later agreed to speak with a Thurston County detective after receiving Miranda warnings.
According to the report, Murphy discussed his pornography use and acknowledged viewing disturbing online material involving children.
Investigators also confronted Murphy regarding video evidence they had reviewed during the investigation.
The interview ended after Murphy requested an attorney.
The Thurston County detective concluded that probable cause had been established.
On Nov. 5, 2025, Murphy was arrested and booked into the Thurston County Jail on allegations of first-degree rape of a child, first-degree child molestation, sexual exploitation of a minor, dealing in depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and first-degree possession of depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The booking record alleges that two of those offenses involved a 9-year-old child, while the remaining alleged offenses identified society as the victim under Washington law.
Although Murphy was arrested on those alleged offenses, Thurston County jail records show he was released the following afternoon.
The jail register lists his manner of release as “CHARGES NOT FILED.”
The publicly released records do not explain why Thurston County prosecutors elected not to file criminal charges.
Months later, the Army prosecuted Murphy on a single specification of sexual abuse of a child under Article 120b.
After reviewing the sheriff’s records, The Salty Soldier requested comment from Army CID.
Jason Mills, Public Affairs for the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division, confirmed CID assumed lead investigative responsibility on Nov. 5, 2025.
According to CID, the agency opened an investigation into domestic violence, sexual abuse of a child, and possession, receipt, or viewing of child pornography.
CID stated it “presented its findings for prosecutorial action” before formally closing its investigation on May 18, 2026.
The Salty Soldier also requested comment from the Army Office of Special Trial Counsel regarding why Murphy ultimately faced only one Article 120b specification despite the broader civilian investigation.
Michelle McCaskill, Director of Communications for the Office of Special Trial Counsel, said prosecutors independently reviewed all available investigative materials before making charging decisions.
“The Army Office of Special Trial Counsel conducts a thorough, independent evaluation of all available investigative materials—including reports from civilian law enforcement partners such as the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office—before making any prosecutorial decisions.”
She added that charges are selected “based on what can be proven beyond a reasonable doubt with the available admissible evidence, while also prioritizing the well-being of the victims.”
McCaskill said the resulting plea agreement and sentence secured a guaranteed conviction without requiring child victims to testify.
“The resulting conviction and sentence—which includes four years in prison, reduction in rank to E-1, and a dishonorable discharge—holds the individual fully accountable for his conduct, secures a guaranteed conviction without putting child victims through a trial, and provides closure for those he harmed.”
The responses from CID and OSTC answer some of the questions raised by the newly released records.
CID confirmed it investigated offense categories beyond the single charge ultimately prosecuted and referred its findings for prosecutorial action.
OSTC confirmed it independently reviewed the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office investigation before making charging decisions and said prosecutors selected charges based on the evidence they believed could be proven beyond a reasonable doubt while also considering the well-being of child victims.
However, neither agency addressed why the alleged child sexual abuse material offenses and other alleged criminal conduct documented during the civilian investigation were not included in the military prosecution, nor whether those allegations failed to satisfy the evidentiary standard for prosecution or were resolved through the plea negotiation process.
Likewise, the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office records do not explain why civilian prosecutors did not file charges following Murphy’s arrest.
If charged and proven in Washington state court, the offenses identified in the sheriff’s report are among the state’s most serious felony crimes. Separately, some of the offense categories identified by CID also correspond to federal child-exploitation statutes that carry substantial criminal penalties. No civilian charges were filed in this case, and The Salty Soldier does not speculate how any hypothetical state or federal prosecution would have been resolved.
The newly released records nevertheless provide a substantially broader picture of the investigation than was publicly known when Murphy pleaded guilty.
They show an investigation that began with a national CyberTip, expanded into a joint investigation between civilian authorities and Army CID, involved multiple search warrants and allegations spanning several categories of criminal conduct, and ultimately concluded with a single military conviction resolved through a guilty plea.
While CID and OSTC have now explained their respective investigative and prosecutorial roles, the full reason the broader investigation culminated in a single Article 120b conviction remains only partially answered.
© 2026 The Salty Soldier. All rights reserved. Reproduction without written consent is strictly prohibited.
